This is one for all you last-minute lovers out there  (unless of course you are reading this after Valentine’s Day, in which case this is for anyone at anytime.) The recipe is quick and easy, the result is very tasty, and it will look like you have gone to more effort than you have, which is always helpful on February 14th.

Ingredients:

• 150g/6oz dairy-free margarine
• 40g/1 ¾oz fruit sugar or caster sugar
• 135g/ 1 ½oz gluten free flour
• 40g/1 ¾oz corn flour
• 30g/ 1oz ground almonds
• 1 punnet of raspberries
• ½ tsp almond essense

Don’t be daunted by the list of ingredients. You can get everything in mainstream supermarkets, I promise.

Before you start, get your oven nice and hot at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, and lay sheets of non-stick baking paper on a couple of baking trays.

Gently melt the margarine and sugar in a saucepan until the mixture is smooth. Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for around 5 minutes until the mixture turns syrupy.

Thoroughly combine the flours and ground almonds into a mixing bowl (use a sieve to get rids of any lumps and bumps) and once the sugar mixture has cooled slightly, slowly add it to the flour – along with the almond essence – and mix together with a wooden spoon until you have a nice dough.

Add in the raspberries – as many as you like – and stir in. Some will break apart and some won’t, but it doesn’t matter either way, you’re not aiming for precision.

Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture into ball shapes, and place them on the baking trays. Give them a good squish with your wooden spoon so they look a little more like cookies, and pop them in the oven for oven for around 10 – 15 minutes. They should be a light golden brown colour when ready.

Cool them on a wire rack, and then tuck in! They are best served still slightly warm from the oven.